I. Discover Yourlf
In order to find a career path that you will find both challenging and satisfying, you must first learn about yourlf.
* What do you like to do?
* What skills do you have?
* Which skills do you like to u?
* What kind of work tting fits best with your personality type?
* What is your personality type??
There are many ways you can asss yourlf. However, if you would like a more in-depth lf-understanding, it is recommended that you meet with a career counlor who can provide you with 'standardized career asssments.' The are tests that will help you to know yourlf better, especially related to working. With the guidance of the counlor, you can develop a profile of yourlf, including career options.
"Sounds good"-- But where do I find a "career counlor?"
The most common places to find career counlors are:
∙ College and University Career Centers
∙ CA State Department of Rehabilitation
∙ Community Agencies
∙ Private Career Counlors
If you can not get to a career counlor, the following pages contain some brief asssments that may help you to identify some of your skills, interests, and personality traits. This is not intended to be a complete asssment, but many find it to be helpful.
The next pages may em like a lot of work, but the results are well worth your effort. Taking time to get to know yourlf now will help to make sure there is a good fit with your career choices later!
A. Personality Traits
Personality traits can be interpreted as both positive and negative. For instance, being critical is one of your traits. This could be a plus if you are an editor of a publishing company, or a meat inspector. It would be a negative if you are a supervisor trying to gain rapport with an employee.
Personality Inventory
This asssment will help you better understand your personality traits and their strength. A trait is a characteristic which tells you how you will react to new situations or new experiences.
Below is a list of personality traits and their meanings. Read each trait and its meaning, then indicate its strength on the line using the scale below:
0 = if you do not have this trait
1 = if you have this trait to some degree
2 = if you clearly have this trait
3 = if you strongly have this trait
_____ Honesty: Having integrity; and keeping one's promi.
_____ Courtesy: Being thoughtful of others.
_____ Responsibility: Being accountable for duties; and actually following through with your duties.
_____ Compatibility: Being in harmony with others, and having the ability to work well with others.
_____ Loyalty: Showing allegiance to people and/or things; showing devotion to your company, people or things.
_____ Enthusiasm: Having a strong affinity towards people and/or things; to show eagerness and a willingness to work with others or things.
_____ Open-mindedness: Being receptive and interested in the opinions and ideas of others.
_____ Self-Control: Controlling your own actions and feelings.
_____ Influence: Motivating or encouraging others.
_____ Initiative: Starting thoughts and/or actions.
_____ Adaptability: Making changes when necessary.
_____ Industriousness: Being consistently active; getting your work done.
_____ Carefulness: Giving watchful attention to people and/or things; making sure that you do things properly.
_____ Self-Reliance: Having trust in one's lf; doing things yourlf and feeling confident about them.
_____ Compassion: Having sympathy and feelings for people with problems.
_____ Dedication: Being riously devoted to caus and/or goals.
_____ Competitiveness: Striving to win.
_____ Patience: Being able to wait; taking your time to do things.
_____ Perfectionism: Trying to achieve the highest possible degree of excellence.
_____ Courage: Meeting danger or difficulties in spite of fear.
_____ Decisiveness: Making decisions promptly and definitely.
_____ Drive: Having the energy to get things done.
_____ Perverance: Being persistent in pursuit of tasks.
_____ Calmness: Being rene.
_____ Stability: Being constant in respons.
Now circle the traits that you marked a "3" that "Strongly Exist."
B. Interests
Just becau we are interested in something does not mean that we automatically are good at it. It's a known fact that we are most likely to excel at what we like to do. Think of things you have done in the past where you succeeded:
∙ Volunteered at the local high school
∙ Wrote a poem that was published
∙ Designed a computer program
The following activity will help you focus on your interests. However, this is a simple survey and any other interests you are aware of should be included as well. For example,
if your hobby is collecting coins, you should include it.
Select only tho which truly interest you the most!
Interest Survey
I am interested or like the activities, functions, and
*Accounting *Freedom *Physical work
*Acting *Gardening *Planning
*Administering *Golf *Politics
*Advising *Government *Precision work
*Agriculture *Graphic arts *Production
*Analyzing *Guiding *Public rvice
*Animals *Handling detail *Public speaking
*Appraising *Health rvices *Raising Funds
*Architecture *Helping People *Reading
*Art *History *Recruiting
*Asmbling *Identifying needs *Religion
*Assisting *Implementing *Repairing
*Biology *Improving *Rearching
*Brainstorming *Influencing *Resolving conflict
*Building morale *Initiating *Risk
*Building things *Integrating *Running Meetings
*Business *Inventing *Selling
*Challenge *Initiating *Service
*Chess playing *Integrating *Singing
*Civic activities *Inventing *Social sciences
*Clerical work *Languages *Solving problems
*Coaching *Law *Strategy
*Communication *Law Enforcement *Supervising
*Conceiving ideas *Libraries *Swimming
*Consulting *Listening *Teaching
